Loophole found that makes quantum cloning possibleTue, 24 Feb 2026 12:00:59 +0000 Duplicating the information held in quantum computers was thought to be impossible thanks to the no-cloning theorem, but researchers have now found a workaround | |
Rapamycin can add years to your life, or none at all – it’s a lotteryWed, 25 Feb 2026 00:01:21 +0000 The drug rapamycin has been held up for its life-extending properties, but whether this treatment – or fasting – actually adds years to your life isn't guaranteed | |
Cannibalism may explain why some orcas stay in family groupsTue, 24 Feb 2026 18:00:27 +0000 Fins washing up in the North Pacific suggest that orcas from one subspecies are snacking on other orcas, and researchers think that may explain their different social dynamics | |
How Ukraine became a drone factory and invented the future of warTue, 24 Feb 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Ukraine has responded to a war it didn’t start by creating an industry it doesn’t want, but could the nation's drone expertise help it rebuild? To learn more, New Scientist gained exclusive access to the research labs, factories and military training schools behind Ukraine’s drones | |
Landmark vitiligo cream targets immune cells that disrupt pigmentationTue, 24 Feb 2026 13:52:44 +0000 A cream that directly disrupts the underlying causes of the skin patches seen in the condition vitiligo will be made available on the NHS | |
Stone Age symbols may push back the earliest form of writingMon, 23 Feb 2026 20:00:26 +0000 Mysterious signs engraved on objects reveal that a form of proto-writing may have been used in Europe 40,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years before the emergence of a full writing system | |
The surprising vaccine side effects that can improve long-term healthTue, 24 Feb 2026 09:00:29 +0000 People often focus on the bad side effects of vaccines, but they can have some great side effects too, says columnist Michael Le Page. They don’t just protect us from contagious diseases but can also lower the risk of dementia and heart attacks | |
Saturn’s rings may have formed after a huge collision with TitanTue, 24 Feb 2026 08:00:24 +0000 Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, may have been even more instrumental to the system’s evolution than we thought, forming its rings, shaping its moons and even affecting the planet itself | |
Birdwatching may reshape the brain and build its buffer against ageingMon, 23 Feb 2026 18:00:25 +0000 Expert birdwatchers have changes in their brain structure compared with novices, which probably help them better identify birds and may even protect against age-related cognitive decline | |
Brutal Iron Age massacre may have targeted women and childrenMon, 23 Feb 2026 16:00:53 +0000 An examination of bones has revealed one of the largest prehistoric mass killings known in Europe, with women, adolescents and children making up most of the 77 victims | |
It’s your perception of sleep that’s making you feel tired all dayMon, 23 Feb 2026 16:00:53 +0000 How we feel about a night’s sleep can have a bigger impact on mood and grogginess than actual hours of rest. Here’s how to change your mindset to feel more energised | |
Everyone's a queen: The ant species with no males or workersMon, 23 Feb 2026 16:00:38 +0000 Temnothorax kinomurai, a parasitic ant species found in Japan, reproduces asexually and all of its young develop into queens that try to take over other ants’ colonies | |
A horse's whinny is unlike any other sound in natureMon, 23 Feb 2026 16:00:06 +0000 Horses use their larynx to make two sounds simultaneously, so they are effectively singing and whistling at the same time | |
We need to get better at identifying postpartum depression in dadsWed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Around 40 per cent of people are unaware that men can experience postpartum depression too — that has to change | |
Fresh understanding of the causes of migraine reveals new drug targetsFri, 20 Feb 2026 13:00:14 +0000 New insights into the causes of migraine are prompting a fresh look at a drug target that was sidelined 25 years ago | |
Why our brains tune things out and how to overcome it when you need toMon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:14 +0000 We often stop noticing things we’ve become too accustomed to, as a side effect of our brains protecting us from sensory overload. Columnist Helen Thomson shares the evidence-backed ways to learn how to notice again | |
We’ve glimpsed before the big bang and it’s not what we expectedMon, 16 Feb 2026 16:00:10 +0000 The big bang wasn’t the start of everything, but it has been impossible to see what came before. Now a new kind of cosmology is lifting the veil on the beginning of time | |
The maths quirk that can cheer you up if you're feeling unpopularWed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 If you feel like the least popular person among your friends, then a handy piece of maths might improve your mood, says Peter Rowlett | |
The untold story of our remarkable hands and how they made us humanTue, 17 Feb 2026 16:00:24 +0000 The evolution of human hands is one of the most important – and overlooked – stories of our origin. Now, new fossil evidence is revealing their pivotal role | |
What to read this week: The Laws of Thought by Tom GriffithsWed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 In the ChatGPT era, a war over the nature of intelligence is playing out. Chris Stokel-Walker explores a Princeton professor's engaging take | |
Fish-based pet food may expose cats and dogs to forever chemicalsFri, 20 Feb 2026 18:00:54 +0000 A survey of 100 commercial foods for dogs and cats revealed that PFAS chemicals appear in numerous brands and types, with fish-based products among those with the highest levels | |
Your BMI can't tell you much about your health – here's what canMon, 09 Feb 2026 16:00:05 +0000 People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them | |
Nobel prizewinner Omar Yaghi says his invention will change the worldTue, 27 Jan 2026 16:00:26 +0000 Chemist Omar Yaghi invented materials called MOFs, a few grams of which have the surface area of a football field. He explains why he thinks these super-sponges will define the next century | |
Humans are the only primates with a chin – now we finally know whyMon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Biologists have debated the reason why Homo sapiens evolved a prominent lower jaw, but this unique feature may actually be a by-product of other traits shaped by natural selection | |
What if the idea of the autism spectrum is completely wrong?Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:10:03 +0000 For years, we've thought of autism as lying on a spectrum, but emerging evidence suggests that it comes in several distinct types. The implications for how we support autistic people could be profound | |
Postpartum depression in dads is common – we can now spot and treat itWed, 18 Feb 2026 16:00:20 +0000 Fathers may get postpartum depression at a similar rate to mothers, but it’s often overlooked. At last, the way we diagnose and treat it is improving, for the good of the whole family | |
We've spotted the strongest microwave laser in the known universeFri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:41 +0000 Colliding galaxies can create a beam of focused microwave radiation known as a maser, and astronomers have discovered the brightest one ever seen | |
Hannah Fry: 'AI can do some superhuman things – but so can forklifts'Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Mathematician Hannah Fry travels to the front lines of AI in her new BBC documentary AI Confidential with Hannah Fry. She talks to Bethan Ackerley about what the technology is doing to us – for better and for worse | |
New Scientist recommends The Big Oyster: History on the half shellWed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week | |
Paediatricians’ blood used to make new treatments for RSV and coldsWed, 18 Feb 2026 19:00:24 +0000 Antibodies harvested from the blood of paediatricians are up to 25 times better at protecting against the common respiratory infection RSV than existing antibody therapies, and are now being developed as preventative treatments | |
Search for radio signals finds no hint of alien civilisation on K2-18bFri, 20 Feb 2026 09:00:38 +0000 Planet K2-18b, an apparent water world 124 light years away, has been seen as a promising location in the search for aliens, but telescopes on Earth failed to pick up any radio transmissions | |
Ultra-processed foods could be making you age fasterFri, 20 Feb 2026 09:00:11 +0000 We’ve been missing an important contributor to ageing, says columnist Graham Lawton. Ultra-processed foods are known to be associated with many chronic health problems, but studies have now shown they may also speed up ageing | |
Artists gaze into space in stunning new exhibitionWed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 A new show at the Royal West of England Academy brings together a series of works that interweave art and science | |
New fossils may settle debate over mysterious sail-backed spinosaursThu, 19 Feb 2026 19:00:59 +0000 Spinosaurs have sometimes been portrayed as swimmers or divers, but a new species of these dinosaurs bolsters the idea that they were more like gigantic herons | |
Atmospheric pollution caused by space junk could be a huge problemThu, 19 Feb 2026 16:00:19 +0000 After a Falcon 9 rocket stage burned up in the atmosphere, vaporised lithium and other metals drifted over Europe. This growing type of pollution could destroy ozone and form climate-warming clouds | |
Why it's high time we stopped anthropomorphising antsWed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 We have long drawn parallels between ants and humans. Now we are comparing the insects to computers. It is time to stop using ants as analogues for ourselves and our machines, says Annalee Newitz | |
Is our galaxy’s black hole actually made of dark matter?Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:00:36 +0000 An exotic type of dark matter could explain some of the characteristics of our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, but many cosmologists are leery of the idea | |
Weird and wonderful fungi should be so much more than sci-fi villainsWed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Fungi have become Hollywood’s go-to bad guys. But as yet another story focuses on Cordyceps, Nick Crumpton says we are missing a chance to broaden our fictional horizons | |
Why some people cannot move on from the death of a loved oneWed, 18 Feb 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Prolonged grief disorder affects around 1 in 20 people, and we're starting to understand the neuroscience behind it | |
Microbe with the smallest genome yet pushes the boundaries of lifeThu, 19 Feb 2026 09:00:03 +0000 Symbiotic bacteria living inside insect cells have lost much of their DNA over hundreds of millions of years, much like the ancient microbes that evolved into mitochondria | |
Spruce trees stumped (sigh) when it comes to predicting eclipsesWed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback enjoys the debunking of a study that suggested a 2022 solar eclipse had been "anticipated" by a bunch of trees | |
More dog breeds found to have high risk of breathing conditionWed, 18 Feb 2026 19:00:54 +0000 An assessment of nearly 900 dogs has identified 12 breeds prone to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, which can affect dogs' ability to sleep and exercise | |
Data centres could store information in glass for thousands of yearsWed, 18 Feb 2026 16:00:49 +0000 Microsoft researchers have developed a technology that writes data into glass with lasers, raising the prospect of robotic libraries full of glass tablets packed with data | |
How baby microbiomes in the West differ from those everywhere elseWed, 18 Feb 2026 16:00:02 +0000 Babies in the West commonly lack a gut microbe that is found in infants in other parts of the world, which may be due to differences in their mothers' diets | |
Ultramarathons could be bad for your bloodWed, 18 Feb 2026 15:34:08 +0000 Running 170 kilometres over mountainous terrain caused people's red blood cells to accumulate more age-related damage than those of less ambitious athletes | |
Did a cloud-seeding start-up really increase snowfall in part of Utah?Tue, 17 Feb 2026 19:00:33 +0000 A technology that uses a coiled wire to electrify aerosols has boosted snowfall amid a drought in the western US, according to the company developing it, but the results haven't convinced other scientists | |
Scientists want to put a super laser on the moonTue, 17 Feb 2026 18:00:05 +0000 An ultrastable laser could enable extremely precise timing and navigation on the moon, and the cold, dark craters near the lunar poles would be the ideal location for it | |
Giant viruses may be more alive than we thoughtTue, 17 Feb 2026 16:00:09 +0000 A giant virus encodes part of the protein-making toolkit of cells that gives it greater control over its amoeba host, raising questions about how it evolved and how such beings relate to living organisms | |
Dream hacking helps people solve complex problems in their sleepTue, 17 Feb 2026 10:39:58 +0000 Hearing a sound while working on a complex puzzle, and then hearing it again during sleep, helped lucid dreamers better tackle the problem the next day | |
The mystery of nuclear 'magic numbers' has finally been resolvedMon, 16 Feb 2026 18:00:59 +0000 A mathematical equivalent of a microscope with variable resolution has shed light on why some atoms are exceptionally stable, a riddle that has persisted in nuclear physics for decades | |
Psychedelic reduces depression symptoms after just one doseMon, 16 Feb 2026 16:00:54 +0000 The psychedelic DMT has been linked to improved mental health outcomes before, but now, scientists have shown it reduces depression symptoms more than a placebo when given alongside therapeutic support | |
Backwards heat shows laws of thermodynamics may need a quantum updateMon, 16 Feb 2026 10:00:57 +0000 We are used to heat flowing from hot objects to cool ones, and never the other way round, but now researchers have found it is possible to pull off this trick in the strange realm of quantum mechanics | |
Rethinking our approach to BMI highlights the need for speedWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 We must find a balance between haste and getting mired in medical inertia | |
Intermittent fasting probably doesn’t help with weight lossMon, 16 Feb 2026 01:00:04 +0000 Intermittent fasting appears to be no better than doing nothing when it comes to helping people who are overweight or have obesity lose weight | |
Can we ever know the shape of the universe?Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:00:42 +0000 The shape of the cosmos depends on a balance of two competing forces: the pull of gravity and the expansion driven by dark energy. Columnist Leah Crane explores what observations tell us about how much universe is out there and whether it’s shaped like a sheet, a saddle or something else entirely | |
Putting a price tag on nature failed. Can radical tactics save it?Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:48 +0000 Biologists have long thought that speaking to nature’s economic value would persuade boardrooms it was worth saving. It hasn’t worked – so what, if anything, will? | |
Why adding cross training into your exercise routine is the way to goWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 There are huge benefits to ringing the changes when it comes to exercise, finds committed runner Grace Wade when she analyses the science | |
How teaching molecules to think is revealing what a 'mind' really isTue, 10 Feb 2026 16:00:17 +0000 Networks of molecules in our body behave as though they have goals and desires. Understanding this phenomenon could solve the origins of life and mind in one fell swoop | |
Exploring sci-fi treats from George Saunders and Matthew KresselWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 In George Saunders's Vigil, a ghost visits Earth to help a dying oil tycoon, while terraforming efforts on Mars are about to bear fruit in The Rainseekers by Matthew Kressel. Emily H. Wilson's sci-fi column explores two very different short novels | |
These 5 diets could add years to your life even if you have bad genesFri, 13 Feb 2026 19:00:46 +0000 Five dietary patterns that involve eating lots of plants have been linked with living up to three years longer, even among people who are genetically predisposed to have a shorter life | |
World’s oldest cold virus found in 18th-century woman's lungsFri, 13 Feb 2026 17:00:31 +0000 Finding rhinoviruses, which cause the common cold, in preserved medical specimens and analysing their RNA genome could let us trace the evolution of human illness | |
Huge hot blobs inside Earth may have made its magnetic field wonkyFri, 13 Feb 2026 16:00:24 +0000 Simulations suggest that two enormous masses of hot rock have been involved in generating Earth’s magnetic field and giving it an irregular shape | |
Accidental discovery hints at mystery structures within our brainFri, 13 Feb 2026 15:00:38 +0000 Scientists may have stumbled across a network of vessels in the brain that helps clear out waste fluid – a discovery that could "represent a paradigm shift in our understanding of all neurodegenerative diseases" | |
First ever inhalable gene therapy for cancer gets fast-tracked by FDAWed, 11 Feb 2026 12:38:05 +0000 A gene therapy that patients breathe in has been found to shrink lung tumours by inserting immune-boosting genes into surrounding cells | |
CAR T-cell therapy may slow neurodegenerative conditions like ALSFri, 13 Feb 2026 12:00:36 +0000 Immune cells in the brain that go rogue contribute to the death of neurons, so getting rid of them may slow the progression of neurodegenerative conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | |
New Scientist recommends Hamnet, and its look at our links with natureWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week | |
Gene editing that spreads within the body could cure more diseasesThu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 The idea of self-amplifying gene editing is to get cells to pass on packages of CRISPR machinery to their neighbours, boosting the effect | |
Why self-expansion is the key to long-lasting love and friendshipFri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:42 +0000 A growing body of psychological research shows that the best relationships – romantic or otherwise – come with a feeling of personal growth. Columnist David Robson explores the evidence-backed ways to broaden our horizons and connect more deeply with our loves, our friends and ourselves | |
RNA strand that can almost self-replicate may be key to life's originsThu, 12 Feb 2026 19:00:31 +0000 Life may have begun when RNA molecules began to replicate themselves, and now we’ve finally found an RNA molecule that is very close to being able to do this | |
Weird inside-out planet system may have formed one world at a timeThu, 12 Feb 2026 19:00:07 +0000 The planets around a nearby star seem to be in the wrong order, hinting that they formed through a different mechanism than the familiar one by which most systems grow | |
Endurance brain cells may determine how long you can run forThu, 12 Feb 2026 17:05:44 +0000 The activity of certain neurons may influence our endurance for exercise, and these could be targeted to help us run faster for longer | |
Why I'm still an environmental optimist – despite it allWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 It's hard not to despair about the state of the world today, but here are five reasons to be a little bit hopeful, says Fred Pearce | |
The surprising origins of Britain's Bronze Age immigrants revealedWed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:34 +0000 About 4600 years ago, the population of Britain was replaced by a people who brought Bell Beaker pottery with them. Now, ancient DNA has uncovered the murky story of where these people came from | |
This state’s power prices are plummeting as it nears 100% renewablesWed, 11 Feb 2026 12:13:49 +0000 South Australia is proving to the world that relying largely on wind and solar energy with battery back-up is incredibly cheap, with electricity prices tumbling by 30 per cent in a year and sometimes going negative | |
Royal Navy returns to wind power with trial of robotic sailboatsThu, 12 Feb 2026 08:00:35 +0000 A fleet of wind-propelled robot boats could act as a sensor network covering a wide area and relay acoustic signals from a submarine | |
What to read this week: Bonded by Evolution by Paul EastwickWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 We are told we need cynical strategies to "play" the dating game, but the science says this is totally wrong. David Robson enjoys an evidence-based takedown from psychologist Paul Eastwick | |
'Roughly 109.5 golden retrievers': a new way to measure iceWed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback is always on the lookout for better ways to measure things, and was delighted to learn how the weight of ice is quantified in Austin, Texas | |
Nepal and Northern India are not overdue for a huge earthquakeWed, 11 Feb 2026 20:35:00 +0000 Many researchers thought that earthquakes in the Himalayas recur at regular intervals – but an analysis of sediment cores has shown they are largely random, and the region has seen far more than we previously realised | |
Ancient Peruvian civilisation grew mighty by harvesting guanoWed, 11 Feb 2026 19:00:42 +0000 The Chincha Kingdom was transporting seabird excrement from islands to valleys as early as the 13th century, and this powerful fertiliser may have been key to its economic success | |
Gravitational wave signal proves Einstein was right about relativityMon, 09 Feb 2026 18:00:12 +0000 Ripples in space-time from a pair of merging black holes have been recorded in unprecedented detail, enabling physicists to test predictions of general relativity | |
Newborn marsupials seen crawling to mother's pouch for the first timeWed, 11 Feb 2026 00:01:16 +0000 Scientists have captured remarkable footage of the young of a mouse-sized marsupial, called a fat-tailed dunnart, making their way to their mother’s pouch soon after being born | |
Which humans first made tools or art – and how do we know?Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:00:03 +0000 Building the human story based on a few artefacts is tricky – particularly for wooden tools that don’t preserve well, or cave art that we don’t have the technology to date. Columnist Michael Marshall explores how we determine what came first in the timeline of our species | |
Time crystals could be used to build accurate quantum clocksTue, 10 Feb 2026 17:00:27 +0000 Once considered an oddity of quantum physics, time crystals could be a good building block for accurate clocks and sensors, according to new calculations | |
Old EV batteries could meet most of China's energy storage needsTue, 10 Feb 2026 15:00:43 +0000 Electric vehicle batteries are typically retired once they reach about 80 per cent of their original capacity, but they could be repurposed in electricity grids to balance out slumps in renewable generation | |
Why 1.5°C failed and setting a new limit would make things worseTue, 10 Feb 2026 12:42:47 +0000 Setting a limit for global warming didn't succeed in galvanising climate action quickly enough – now we should focus on making the annual average temperature rise clear for all to see, says Bill McGuire | |
How clinical research is still failing underrepresented communitiesWed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 As a doctor working in genomic research, I know that we lack vital data for Black people and many other groups. Here's how we can change that, says Drews Adade | |
Specific cognitive training has 'astonishing' effect on dementia riskMon, 09 Feb 2026 12:52:43 +0000 A type of cognitive training that tests people's quick recall seems to reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease | |
Is this carved rock an ancient Roman board game?Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:01:20 +0000 The lines worn into an engraved limestone object from the Netherlands are consistent with the idea that it was a Roman game board, according to an AI analysis | |
'Hidden' group of gut bacteria may be essential to good healthMon, 09 Feb 2026 16:00:58 +0000 Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics | |
Jeff Goldblum should make a film about this legendary mathematicianMon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Paul Erdős was one of the most prolific mathematicians to ever live, known for showing up at the door of others in the field and declaring they should host and feed him while they do maths together. His radical life should be immortalised by Hollywood in a comedy biopic, says columnist Jacob Aron | |
Physicists can now take control of 'hidden' friction in devicesMon, 09 Feb 2026 11:00:03 +0000 One type of friction can waste energy even when two perfectly smooth surfaces move against each other, but researchers are getting a handle on how to attenuate or stop it completely | |
Personalised medicine is yet to deliver, but that must start to changeWed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Companies are happy to sell you personalised tracking of your biomarkers or a tailored nutrition plan, but truly personalised medicine should be able to tackle the vast differences some people have in response to the same diseases | |
Statins don't cause most of the side effects listed on their labelsThu, 05 Feb 2026 23:30:58 +0000 A review of the evidence suggests that statins are no more likely than a placebo to cause most of the side effects listed on their labels | |
Seafarers were visiting remote Arctic islands over 4000 years agoMon, 09 Feb 2026 00:01:45 +0000 The first people to reach the Kitsissut Islands off the north-west coast of Greenland were Indigenous peoples, who crossed over 50 kilometres of treacherous water | |
Why is childbirth so hard for humans – and is it getting even harder?Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Some think the rise of C-sections means that one day all births will require serious medical intervention. But a surprising new understanding of the pelvis suggests a different story | |
Do weeds really love poor soil? Not if you look at the scienceWed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 It's a truism that weeds love poor soil, but is there anything to it? And what is a weed, anyway? James Wong investigates | |
Nobel laureate says he'll build world’s most powerful quantum computerTue, 03 Feb 2026 16:00:11 +0000 John Martinis has already revolutionised quantum computing twice. Now, he is working on another radical rethink of the technology that could deliver machines with unrivalled capabilities | |
The Beauty may be horror TV but it misses the genre's pointWed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 In The Beauty, mysterious deaths of models are linked to a new drug and a sexually transmitted infection, both of which kill as they beautify. But if you want great body horror, this isn't the place to look, concludes Bethan Ackerley | |
Weakening ice shelf has caused crucial Antarctic glacier to accelerateFri, 06 Feb 2026 18:00:18 +0000 The flow of ice at Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica has sped up dramatically due to the disintegration of the ice shelf in front of it, and this could lead to faster sea level rise | |
Physicists warn of 'catastrophic' impact from UK science cutsFri, 06 Feb 2026 17:44:19 +0000 Science funding cuts in the UK are expected to be a "devastasting blow" for physics research, affecting international projects such as particle detection experiments at CERN | |